Ming Dynasty painter Zhang Hong pioneered the first sketch of Ming Dynasty paintings

The famous painter Zhang Hong of the Ming Dynasty, nicknamed "Taoist priest of the river", as can be seen from his name, Zhang Hong's artistic pursuit of reverence for the transcendental and secular ideas of Lao Zhuang. The meaning is equal to the spirit of 0, and has nothing to do with the world.

Zhang Hong's works

From the Ming Wanli period to the Chongzhen period, new changes occurred in the field of Ming Dynasty painting. Among them, Suzhou painters, mainly represented by Zhang Hong, created another world in the field of literati landscape painting. On the basis of inheriting the style of Wumen painting, they injected life-filled inspirations into their paintings, returned to nature and humanity, and gave new soul to landscape painting.

So the end of the Ming Dynasty was the heyday of martial arts. This period saw the emergence of many outstanding painters with distinctive painting styles and rigorous writing. As one of the outstanding painters, Zhang Hong used a flexible machine to depict the essence of literati landscape painting. Zhang Hong always maintained a meticulous attitude in his paintings rather than creating exquisite works. His painting style is based on inheriting the tradition and incorporating innovative sketches, which makes the overall picture of the work look deep and elegant, and makes the figurative landscape reach an unparalleled realm.

The finishing touch in his works is the fusion of Yuan, Song, and word moods, and the integration of aesthetic poetry with landscape moods. When Zhang Hong depicted the courtyard villa surrounded by pine forests and mountains, he wrote a poem in the blank space, "Pine leaves are shady, and the wood door is fragrant with running water and flowers. It can be said that he has sincere feelings, good form and spirit.

Zhang Hong was the most famous landscape painter of the late Ming Dynasty. He also brought the Wu School of painting to its peak.

Evaluation of Zhang Hong

From Zhang Hong's many works, it is not difficult to see the author's superior painting skills and vivid brushwork. As a result, Zhang Hong's works have been clamored for by major museums and art galleries, and have even been acclaimed as works of the City Hall.

Excerpts from Zhang Hong's paintings

How high is the status of Zhang Hong's paintings? It was included in the geography textbook by the National Science Council, and became the quintessential literati painting for the next generation. The National Palace in Taipei printed the "Ocean Parcel Map" on the commemorative stamps. The subject of this book is a set of stamps painted by four representative painters of the Song and Ming dynasties: Chao and He. The Parking Lot Map has been hailed by the international gardening community as an excellent visual representation of "ancient Chinese gardens".

Zhang Hong's personal acclaim is unprecedented. Domestic and foreign masterpieces, such as "Xishan Shuangqitu", "Yiyuan Duoying", "Ming Dynasty Paintings" and so on. All give Zhang Hong high artistic evaluation. Zhang Hong "Ming Luhua" recorded in the Chinese heritage association expert committee edited by the "Flower Ru Cui Tu". The comments next to this book give a very high rating. "Zhang Hongshan's figure landscape paintings follow the style of the Wu School of the early Ming Dynasty with the painting styles of the Northern and Southern Song dynasties. It combines the two to create a unique approach."

In international academic circles, Zhang Hong's achievements are also recognized. The weight of the book, "An Atlas of Chinese Painting Appreciation," by the renowned American scholar Prof. Gao Juhan, begins with Zhang Hong as the first character, reflecting the weight of the book. The article, though overflowing with praise, refers to Zhang Hongwei as the greatest painter of the 17th century, the one who pioneered the theory of sketching in Ming Dynasty painting. This predates Western impressionism by nearly 300 years, and is enough to show that Zhang Hongwei represents the advancement and creativity of Chinese painting thought.

Zhang Hong's Works

Zhang Hong. The famous painter of the Ming Dynasty inherited the excellent style of Wu School literati painting, changed the court style that prevailed in the early Ming Dynasty, and broke through the limitations, focusing on the organic combination of poetry, calligraphy and painting. The fine tradition of literati painting was perfected.

Appreciation of Zhang Hong's Works

Most of Zhang Hong's works are exquisite landscape paintings. They are refreshingly rewritten, using high and steep brushwork and wet ink to create the ancient feeling of green hills and deep autumn. The figure paintings are still unique in that they emphasize the writing and the shape of the figure, making them suitable for a variety of occasions. This is usually a classic work that has been handed down to this day.

Representation of Zhang Hong

Zhang Hong's works are not only famous in China, but also popular among collectors abroad. The Cowherd Figure is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA. It is collected in Princeton University Art Museum. "Feng Freezing Portrait" is in the Poston Museum of Art. It is a private collection in the United States. Parking Garden" is in the collection of the Oriental Art Museum, Berlin, etc.

Various Chinese and foreign art masterpieces of Zhang Hong's works are highly evaluated. It can be seen that the Ming dynasty painter Zhang Hong's influence on the Chinese and foreign painting world is far-reaching.